Tag Archives: Food

We Kind of Believe

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This week marks the 70th anniversary of the famous “Roswell Crash”. Regardless of what actually happened, July 1947 was when the aliens + desert = UFO phenomenon was born. And since we enjoy aliens so much, given our visit to Area 51 last year, we thought it a fitting tribute to post about our stop at Alien Fresh Jerky in Baker, California.

Only an hour and a half from Las Vegas, along I-15 in SoCal’s Mojave Desert, Alien Jerky is a cornerstone of Baker. Although the store is still from this world–complete with intergalactic space cruisers and plenty of alien buddies hanging around–it pretty much operates in its own universe. It’s the closest thing to an extraterrestrial space station that the average red-blooded American can visit….unless maybe you work for some cryptic government agency no one’s ever heard of…

Alien Jerky is the brain child of Luis Ramallo, who started the business with a table in the desert, where sat his homemade jerky. Sticking with the popular alien theme, his idea took off, and the rest is history. There’s even a UFO-themed hotel in the works, set to be built right behind the store.

Canada’s One-Stop Time Travel Eatery

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We stumbled upon this gem as we strolled the mean streets of Vancouver. Just kidding, everyone is actually really nice there. We love a good burger to satisfy our day. Combine that with a retro setting and you don’t even have to ask us…we’ll just show up.

Moderne Burger is one of those places you might see on TV. That’s because it’s been on TV! We happened to be there later at night as it was closing, which gave us some time to chat with the owner, who proudly told us that everything on the menu is locally sourced, including the potatoes for the fries. The beef is grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free. We definitely give this place an A+ for the great atmosphere and amazing, healthy food. The natural aspect of the menu was obvious at the first bite.

We sometimes get mistaken for a food blog because we document so many restaurants. Although we always enjoy a good meal (and it was good!), we document restaurants for their atmosphere, business model, or something else that’s completely unique about them. The meticulously detailed retro design and feel of Moderne Burger made it the perfect fit to be featured on UndiscoveredWanderings. Did we mention it’s been on TV shows? That should be a sign of its authenticity. See our gallery below, plus check out the links to see which of your favorite shows have filmed there.

Your Own Restaurant in a California Garden

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We spent a lot of time in California this summer, sometimes just taking in the surf. But as we cruised through the Bay Area, we had to stop at Nini’s Coffee Shop in San Mateo, our second time here. San Mateo has already proven to be a neat place, especially with our stop at a vintage record store.

So what makes this corner diner a real dish? It’s Nini’s!! Everyone knows that. The inside courtyard and all its out-of-place-yet-good-fit-for-this-place decorations always entertain. From street signs to statues, a fire hydrant and even a Texaco fuel pump (we’ve seen those before), you could say that Nini’s doubles as an unofficial museum. Never a dull moment.

And the food is fantastic! It’s a great place to unwind and take in the nice California breeze. Nini’s has been around forever, and judging by how busy it always is when we visit, it’s not going anywhere.

Aliens. It was Aliens.

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It’s no secret that Area 51 is a…um…secret, so what’s going on there, anyway? Well, we may never know. The reality is that the UFO phenomenon of the last 70+ years has a strong following in southern Nevada because of this mysterious place, but you don’t need to look there to enjoy the finer points of UFOlogy. You can have all your questions answered–and a bite to eat while you put your feet up for the night–at the Little A’Le’Inn, just a few miles away from ’51.

Our trip to Little A’Le’Inn. It was a windy day, which added some mystery to the ambiance. Learn why it’s called A’Le’Inn–it’s not the reason you think.

Located in the small town of Rachel, Nevada, off highway 375 (the famous Extraterrestrial Highway) and about 150 miles north of Las Vegas, the Little A’Le’Inn is a cozy inn with a bar and grill that will give any visitor the ultimate alien experience. UndiscoveredWanderings was founded to document places off the beaten path; this place is really off the beaten path! But it adds to the authenticity, so the trip is well worth it, especially if you’re on your way to Vegas from the north.

Started around the time of the famous Bob Lazar interview, which opened up Area 51 and its alleged collection of extraterrestrial spaceships to public scrutiny, Little A’Le’Inn proudly embraces the UFO theme inside and out, and throughout the years it’s welcomed visitors from every corner of the earth. Still no word if any ETs have shown up to stay there yet, but they would feel right at home if they ever do.

Inside the main building, with a “Welcome Earthlings” sign-wielding alien out front, you can enjoy the bar and grill, then use the gift shop to add to your collection of UFO memorabilia with every alien-themed souvenir you can possibly imagine, plus some local goods like quilts and even A’Le’Inn’s own brand of red wine. It’s a great stop before you take on Vegas, which is more or less its own planet, anyway. Enjoy!

IT’S. SO. GOOOOOOD!!!!!!

Locations: California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon

For our American readers, half of you probably already know about the wonderful In-N-Out Burger restaurants, so you can stop reading now if you want. We won’t be offended, though please continue to check out the rest of UndiscoveredWanderings.com 🙂

For the rest of you, this is a (UW) public service announcement. A time-tested burger restaurant came into UW’s radar not too long ago. And yeah, maybe In-N-Out has been around for decades. Maybe everyone on the West Coast has known about its deliciousness and delightful service all these years. Maybe the well-traveled creatives behind UW were completely out of the loop on this one…

But we’re an East Coast company, after all. It’s not our fault! However, just because we caught up to this amazing restaurant a little late doesn’t mean we can’t still spread the good word.

For the foodies: It’s the best fast food as far as UW is concerned: best burger, best fries, best buildings, best service.

For the nostalgic: It’s got that classic retro look to it–even the logo looks retro-modern. We’ve been to a couple different In-N-Outs, and as far as we can tell, they’re all laid out the same way, so you’ll always feel right at home no matter which one you go to.

To all who have not experienced the joys of In-N-Out: Go now! It’s worth every penny.